A telecommunications network is established via a complex arrangement and configuration of many cell sites that are deployed across a geographical area. For example, there may be different types of cell sites (e.g., macro cells, microcells, and so on) positioned in a specific geographical location (e.g., a city, neighborhood, and so on), in order to provide adequate, reliable coverage for mobile devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, and so on) via different frequency bands and radio networks such as a Global System for Mobile (GSM) mobile communications network, a code/time division multiple access (CDMA/TDMA) mobile communications network, a 3rd or 4th generation (3G/4G) mobile communications network (e.g., General Packet Radio Service (GPRS/EGPRS)), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), or Long Term Evolution (LTE) network), 5G mobile communications network, IEEE 802.11 (WiFi), or other communications networks. The devices may seek access to the telecommunications network for various services provided by the network, such as services that facilitate the transmission of data over the network and/or provide content to the devices.
As device usage continues to rise at an impressive rate, there are too many people, using too many network (and/or data)-hungry applications in places where the wireless edge of the telecommunications network has limited or no capacity. As a result, most telecommunications networks have to contend with issues of network congestion. Network congestion in data networking is the reduced quality of service that occurs when a network node is carrying more data than it can handle. Typical effects include queueing delay, packet loss or the blocking of new connections.
Typical congestion control solutions modulate traffic entry into a telecommunications network in order to avoid congestive collapse resulting from oversubscription. This is accomplished by reducing the rate of packets from a sender, which prevents the sender from overwhelming the network. However, such a solution may result in poor user experience and loss competitive edge for mobile service providers. More recently, service providers have been introducing small cell, or heterogeneous networks (HetNets) to combat congestion by increasing network capacity or throughput via utilizing higher wireless spectrum efficiency technologies. HetNets bring in smaller cells, such as femto, pico, or microcells, into a telecommunications network allowing a service provider to mitigate capacity issues by having more cells in total, meaning fewer users per cell or more available network resources per user.
However, one of the most problematic and restrictive network elements service providers face when deploying a small cell network is the backhaul which transports data traffic between cell sites and mobile switch center (MSO). Further, a site acquisition for deploying a small cell can be a painstaking process. Service providers must first determine the owner of the build site and negotiate a plan for installation. Sites are often owned by the city, which may have any number of restrictions on placing devices in its jurisdiction. Moreover, establishing an appropriate backhaul is also costly and time-consuming. For instance, it takes several hundreds of thousands of dollars and several years from start to finish to deploy a small cell network. Thus, it is imperative to identify optimum sites for deploying small cells that will result in the maximum benefit. Such sites generally tend to be locations that experience maximum congestion.
Small cell normally covers a relative small geographical area, say 100 meter×100 meter, or even less. Data congestion may be due to few factors such as heavy-data users, limited bandwidth, hostile radio environment, as well as interference from other cells when traffic volume/number of active users increases. Characterizing and measuring data congestion in such a small area is new and challenging. No direct method or metric is available for identifying or evaluating a site in terms of the maximum congestion.
The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Similarly, some components and/or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the embodiments of the present technology. Moreover, while the technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the technology to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the technology is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the technology as defined by the appended claims.